DbI Review

Positive Behavioral Supports and Social
Relationships

Tim Hartshorne
Central Michigan University
tim.hartshorne@cmich.edu

All people should live in an environment where they
can succeed and where they can feel good about themselves. In some
environments, having a disability can get in the way of success and feeling
good. With some disabilities, children may have difficulty learning the social
skills they need to interact well with others, and may also develop some
behaviors that are actually counter productive to positive social
relationships. In this article I use Positive Behavioral Supports as an
umbrella concept for examining the behavioral and social competence of
children, followed by a closer examination of the concept of social competence.
Finally, I examine a method for supporting children who are deafblind in their
development of behavioral and social competence.

To illustrate the concepts, I will use a specific
(fictitious) example. Justin is a 9-year-old boy with multi-sensory
impairments. Often, when he is touched, either purposefully or accidentally, by
students and teachers, he will strike out at them.

Positive Behavioral Supports

In the past, we have focused our energies on trying
to change the child. Justin would have been subject to various punishments in
order to teach him that striking out is inappropriate. The Positive Behavioral
Supports movement has changed this focus. PBS "looks at the system, setting, or
skill deficiency rather than the individual. Behavior management attempts to
'fix' the person, while PBS adjusts the systems and settings, focusing on
improving skills" (Travnikar, 2001). Behavior always occurs in a context. PBS
looks for deficiencies in that context, either in the environmental conditions,
or in the behavioral skills of the individual (Carr, Horner, Turnbull, Marquis,
Magito McLaughlin, McAtee, et al., 1999). The goal of PBS is not just the
reduction or elimination of challenging behavior, "but rather improving
people's lives" (Carr, et. al, 1999, p. 5).

PBS has two primary steps. First, a Functional
Assessment of Behavior is conducted to understand the purpose of the behavior.
Second, a Behavior Intervention Plan is developed to address the supports
needed to improve skills.

Functional Assessment of Behavior (FAB) is a
process for gathering information about the "why's" of particular behavior
(Carr, Levin, McConnachie, Carlson, Kemp, & Smith, 1997). In other words,
functional assessment is used to identify the purpose of problem behavior. If
you know the purpose, the behavior is understandable.

Why does Justin strike out at those who touch him?
What does his behavior communicate to us about Justin and his experience in his
environment? We might be tempted to label Justin "aggressive". But instead, we
could consider what Justin might be saying or communicating by striking out.
What might be its purpose or function? Douglass (1995) suggests the following
possibilities:

I hate surprises;

I don't like being touched;

I wanted to acknowledge your presence;

I like you very much;

I need more warning before you approach me;

I have been touched too much and I cannot tolerate it any more;

I was telling you that I'm ready for work;

I was asking you to come back later;

In other words, there are many possible purposes for this behavior, some of
which may not be obvious.

The four main goals of a FAB are to (1) describe
the behavior; (2) predict the times and situations when the behavior will
occur; (3) identify the purpose or goal of the behavior; and (4) propose
interventions linked to the context and purpose of the behavior (Travnikar,
2001). A comprehensive FAB will consider the contexts in which the behavior
occurs, and the consequences to those behaviors, in order to identify the
purpose. Hypotheses are developed based on the assessment, and interventions
are selected based on the hypotheses. The success of the interventions provides
support for the hypotheses, or, if unsuccessful, suggests the need for
additional assessment.

If, for example, Justin is communicating that he
needs more warning when people approach him, and that the purpose of the
behavior is to avoid such contacts and to protect himself, then what skill
building or environmental changes might be warranted? Can he be taught
alternative methods for expressing his desire to avoid sudden contact with
others? Can the environment be modified to reduce the likelihood of such
contact? Can students and teachers be taught alternative ways to approach
Justin? What part of a quality life is touch, and how can that be incorporated
into Justin's experience in a way that he enjoys?

Social Competence

"The degree to which students are able to establish
and maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships, gain peer acceptance,
establish and maintain friendships, and terminate negative or pernicious
interpersonal relationships defines social competence and predicts adequate
long-term psychological and social adjustment" (Gresham, Sugai, & Horner,
2001). Social competence is the ability to perform competently on social tasks.
Social skills are the specific behaviors a person uses to perform competently.
Clearly, Justin's behavior of striking out when touched is not a good social
skill and might suggest some problems with social competence. PBS considers
social competence in terms of contexts, both the social skills the person has
developed, and the environment in which social action occurs.

Social Skills

Social skills can be placed into several categories (Caldarella &
Merrell, 1997):

Deficits in social skills can also be classified
(Gresham, Sugai, & Horner, 2001):

Acquisition deficit - never learned it

Performance deficit - learned it but can't or won't do it

Fluency deficit - does not do it very well or in all
contexts

Justin may have a deficit in assertion skills, or
the socially appropriate way to let other people know what he likes and does
not like. He may have never acquired this skill, he may lack practice, or he
may not wish to use the skill. His striking out may be just his preferred
behavior, or it may be because he does not know any other. Social skills can be
taught; generally in a group setting using guided rehearsal, feedback,
reinforcement, and practice (Waas & Graczyk, 1998). But PBS requires that
we address both skills deficits and environmental deficits.

Environmental Conditions

A consequence of the lack of social skills can be
peer rejection. But peer rejection is not just due to the lack of social
skills; it is also a result of negative relational schemas (Waas & Graczyk,
1998). Relational schemas are the scripts and rules you have about your
relationships with others. For example, other students may have relational
schemas about Justin that "he is aggressive," "he is unpleasant to be near,"
"he should be avoided." Many children with disabilities likely suffer from both
a lack of social skills and negative relational schemas about them. They may
themselves have negative relational schemas about other people. These negative
relational schemas are a part of the environmental context that exists when
negative behavior is expressed.

The consequence of negative relational schemas can
be an environment that is not conducive to the learning and displaying of
social skills. If Justin strikes out to warn others that he needs more time for
them to approach him, his behavior is probably successful in keeping others
away from him. He effectively creates a context of avoidance, which is
supported by negative relational schemas that others have of him. He pushes
away, and others stay away. Teaching Justin alternative behavior is a start,
but unless the environment changes, he will have no reason to use the new
behavior.

Person-Centered Planning and Circle of
Friends

Person-Centered Planning (PCP) is a process that
facilitates the inclusion of persons with disabilities into their natural
communities, including neighborhood, school, and work. The general goals of PCP
for the individual include

being present and participating in community life

gaining and maintaining satisfying relationships

expressing preferences and making choices in everyday life

having opportunities to fulfill respected roles and to live with
dignity

All PCP approaches begin with a focus on the wants and needs of an individual
and recognize the importance of both formal and informal supports in assisting
the person to achieve his or her dreams. PCP represents a shift in focus from
finding out what is wrong with a person and how to fix it, to identifying
capacities, and how to enhance them so that a person can live the life they or
we envision (O'Brien, O'Brien, & Mount, 1997).

One form of person-centered planning used for
people with disabilities of all ages is MAPS: Making Action Plans (Pearpoint,
Forest, & O'Brien, 1996). It is frequently carried out by the person and
their Circle of Friends. The group considers several questions such as: Who is
this person? What are this person's dreams? What are your nightmares for this
person? What strengths does the person have? What would a perfect day look like
for this person?

PCP helps to define the desirable environmental
conditions for the person. From this, action plans may be developed to
implement the perfect social encounters in the person's day, at school or at
work, which take into account the person's strengths and needs, and help them
move toward their dreams. We might envision Justin's perfect day at school as
teachers and peers approaching him carefully but positively in a way that he
can accept and enjoy.

A Circle of Friends is a circle of support, which
forms around a person with a disability (Pearpoint, Forest, & O'Brien,
1996). It is meant to be a support to the person's inclusion into the school,
community, and workplace. The person (or when communication skills are limited,
someone who is close to the person) invites those he or she wishes to be
involved in the circle, based upon who they feel supports them in their lives.
Circles of Friends may or may not involve professionals. Ideally the members
stay with the Circle over time, providing a natural social support network for
the individual.

Circles of Friends provide one avenue for avoiding
or dissipating negative relational schemas. Frederickson and Turner (2003)
found that while a Circle had little impact on the child's self-perception, or
on the teacher's perception of the child's behavior, it did have a positive
impact on the child's social acceptance. Justin's Circle of Friends can support
his development of social competence by (1) learning how to interact with him
in a manner that he can accept and respond to positively, (2) helping to teach
him social skills, and (3) letting other people know that they are Justin's
friends and that Justin has many positive qualities. Nobody develops social
competence or learns social skills in isolation. And nothing overcomes negative
relational schemas better than positive peer interaction.

Summary

The fact that a particular child lacks behavioral
and social competence is of concern. But the Positive Behavioral Supports
approach makes this a shared concern, a shared problem, and a shared solution.
Blame is not assessed. Instead the environmental sources for the problems are
sought out, the purposes that the negative behavior serves for the child are
identified, and alternative ways for the child to meet their goals are
developed. A Behavioral Intervention Plan is developed in the context of
Person-Centered Planning, and a Circle of Friends ensures that the child is
supported through the process.

References

Caldarella, P., & Merrell, K. (1997). Common
dimensions of social skills of children and adolescents: A taxonomy of positive
behaviors. School Psychology Review, 26, 264-278).

Douglass, L. W. (1995, Summer). The role of
positive behavior in the education of students with sensory impairments.
California Deaf-Blind Services, RESOURCES, 7(3), p. 4.

Frederickson, N., & Turner, J. (2003).
Utilizing the classroom peer group to address children's social needs: An
evaluation of the Circle of Friends intervention approach. Journal of Special
Education, 36, 234-245.